Opening This Weekend, Jan 26-28, 2008

[Plot Device]

I'm going to assume MOST of us in this forum go to the movies pretty regularly. (There was a time in my life--lasted about three years--when I attended no less than three films a week. Too expensive now.) There are SIX films getting released this weekend, and while I suspect many here easilly go to the movies almost every single week, I doubt too many of us here intend to see all six. So how about discussing what it is we're all THINKING about seeing this weekend? (Or WISH we could see if we had the cash.) Like trying to decide between six different lunch specials on a menu, what film (or what two or three films) do you think you'll be deciding upon this weekend?

Here are all six.

PG-13 - "Meet the Spartans" .......... (Historical Parody/Satire) . Ensamble
R ----- "Rambo" ...................... (Combat/Action-Thriller) ... Sylvester Stalone
R ----- "Untraceable" ................ (Crime/Suspense Thriller) .. Diane Lane
NR ---- "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" (Womens/Historical Drama) .. Foriegn/Subititled
R ----- "The Air I Breathe" .......... (Anthology Drama) ...........Ensamble
PG-13 - "How She Move" ................(Urban Drama/Coming of Age) .Rutina Wesley

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thisweekend.html


(The poll above allows you to vote for multiple choices, not just one. The poll will close on Saturday.)

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NEW COMENT on MONDAY JANURY 28, 2008

Well, the weekend has come and gone. And here's what the boxoffice said happened with our six new films:


Rank . Title ............................ Weekend Gross .. PTA ...... Total Gross
.1 .... Meet the Spartans ................ $18,505,530 .... $7,103 ... $18,505,530
.2 .... Rambo ............................ $18,203,876 .... $6,617 ... $18,203,876
.3 .... 27 Dresses ....................... $13,360,535 .... $4,346 ... $45,107,889
.4 .... Cloverfield ...................... $12,712,134 .... $3,726 ... $64,306,110
.5 .... Untraceable ...................... $11,354,069 .... $4,794 ... $11,354,069
.6 .... The Bucket List .................. $10,532,406 .... $3,613 ... $58,006,449
.7 .... Juno ............................. $10,151,100 .... $4,184 .. $100,013,577
.8 .... National Treasure: Book of Secrets. $4,916,131 .... $2,154 .. $205,672,738
.9 .... There Will Be Blood ............... $4,869,383 .... $5,502 ... $14,746,644
10 .... Mad Money ......................... $4,578,394 .... $2,470 ... $15,252,568
11 .... Alvin and the Chipmunks ........... $4,512,318 .... $1,856 .. $204,121,451
12 .... How She Move ...................... $3,957,471 .... $2,584 .... $3,957,471
...
...

43 .... Teeth ................................ $66,338 .... $4,146 ...... $113,994
44 .... I'm Not There ........................ $57,621 .... $1,477 .... $3,630,340
45 .... Dan in Real Life ..................... $52,854 ...... $518 ... $47,559,919
46..... 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days ............ $51,712 ... $25,856 ....... $51,712
...
...

54 .... The Air I Breathe .................... $19,487 .... $2,783 ....... $19,487

[III]

I have no desire to see any of those - least of all "Meet the Spartans" which looks to be written by the same group of elementary school kids who wrote "Epic Movie". If we can find a babysitter, I want to take my wife to see Atonement since Ray keeps talking it up. She wants to see Cloverfield, but I'd hate to spend $20 then leave the theater after 10 minutes with motion sickness. I certainly wouldn't mind paying to see There Will Be Blood again.

[RumpleTumbler]

I thought about Cloverfield. I heard it was good but wouldn't have probably gone otherwise. It opened last weekend though so I guess it doesn't count.

[JoNightshade]

The only one I'm remotely interested in is Rambo, but (blush) I have to watch the original Rambo first.

I just finished watching all the old Rocky movies so now I have to see Rocky Balboa, too.

[icerose]

Is it sad that I've only heard of one of those movies?

We don't have television, all the movies we watch are either ones we already own, or on netflix. I do watch some TV over the internet, I hope they get the writer's strike settled soon with writers getting cuts on that stuff.

I rarely go to the theatres because I have little kids and no baby sitters so that is out about 99.99% of the time.

[El Mariachi]

I'd like to see Untraceable. I like Diane Lane, and don't think she is in enough movies these days. It seems that the concept of the movie, may have been taken from an episode of CSI, directed by Quentin Tarantino, but, it still looks pretty good.

[LIVIN]

This weekend, I saw Juno. (No spoilers).

Anyway, while the dialogue is entertaining it is not believable, IMO. And yet, the script is nominated for an oscar. So what does a spec writer do with said information?

I don't know. Also, someone I saw the movie with (not a writer) was taken out of the movie because of the dialogue. Generally, the audience seemed to like it. However, I was sitting very near a couple people who seemed to like just about anything - so my perception of the audience's reaction may be colored by their reaction, since they were laughing loudly a lot and such.

Anyone else seen the movie and have thoughts? Writerly thoughts? (Please don't move to this to the movie section, as I want to hear from screenwriters.) Thanks.

[LIVIN]

I suppose I should've made this a new thread - about Juno.

[Plot Device]

In case anyone is interested, I have re-edited the OP to include box office data for the weekend.

Looks like we of AW's screenwriting community are NOT an accurate barometer of how the box office will perform.

[nielsty]

Saw Juno the other day. I also think it was really good! I loved the dialogue even though it might be too clever for a high schooler. And the soundtrack was magnificent and followed the mood of the film.

I don't know if it was a typical Oscar winning performance from Ellen Page but she was good.

It's the kind of film I would have loved to have written myself.